4 Must-Know School-Based Coping Skills Every Parent Should Teach Their Child

It’s natural for children to experience a range of emotions at school. Excitement, anxiety, nervousness, and anticipation are all common feelings as they face new routines, teachers, and classmates. Understanding and addressing these feelings can help your child have a smoother transition and a positive start to the school year.

Here are four coping skills you can teach your child to help them manage these emotions effectively at school, along with adaptations for young children going to school for the first time and older children transitioning to middle school or high school:

Deep Breathing

Teaching Tip: Introduce your child to deep breathing by practicing it together. Explain that taking deep breaths can help calm their mind and body when they feel nervous or overwhelmed. Practice by inhaling slowly through the nose for a count of four, holding for a count of four, and then exhaling through the mouth for a count of four.

Practice at Home: Download the Breathing Cards attached and make it a daily routine to practice deep breathing with your child. This will help your child become more comfortable using this technique when they need it.

• Adaptation for Young Children: Use visual aids such as the Breathing cards attached.

• Adaptation for Older Children: Talk about ways your child can practice intentional breathing at school by drawing a shape on their assignment or test, visualizing it on their desk or tracing shape on their hand.

Positive Self-Talk

Teaching Tip: Help your child develop a list of positive affirmations they can use to boost their confidence and manage stress. Phrases like “I can do this,” “I am prepared,” and “I am capable” can be very empowering.

Practice at Home: Encourage your child to use positive self-talk daily. Role-playing different scenarios where they might feel anxious and having them practice their affirmations can reinforce this skill.

• Adaptation for Young Children: Use simple and repetitive phrases like “I am brave” or “I am strong.” Create a positive affirmation chart with fun stickers or drawings.

• Adaptation for Older Children: Encourage them to write down their affirmations in a journal or place sticky notes with positive messages in their locker or on their mirror.

Visualization Techniques

Teaching Tip: Teach your child how to use visualization to imagine positive outcomes in challenging situations. For example, they can visualize themselves showing up on the first day of school and making new friends

Practice at Home: Practice visualization together by asking your child to close their eyes and picture a happy, successful school experience. Encourage them to describe what they see and how it makes them feel.

• Adaptation for Young Children: Use stories or picture books to help them imagine positive school experiences. Ask them to draw pictures of themselves having fun at school.

• Adaptation for Older Children: Encourage them to create vision boards with images and words that represent their goals and positive school experiences.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Teaching Tip: Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) helps release tension and reduce anxiety by tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups. Guide your child through an exercise called squeeze and release, where they squeeze and tighten their hands while counting to five and release and shake their hands while counting to five.

Practice at Home: Make muscle relaxation a part of your child’s bedtime routine or use it before stressful events. Start by asking your child to tense their toes for a few seconds, then relax them. Move to different parts of their body noticing which muscle groups feel better once engaging in progressive muscle relaxation exercises.

• Adaptation for Young Children: Use a playful approach by engaging in pretending or make believe play. For example, ask your child to squeeze their muscles tight like an uncooked noodle, then relax like a cooked noodle.

• Adaptation for Older Children: Provide a guided PMR audio track or app they can use independently. Encourage them to practice regularly to become familiar with the technique.

By teaching and practicing these coping skills at home, you can help your child build resilience and confidence as they navigate the school year. Remember, open communication is key.

Encourage your child to share their feelings and experiences with you, and provide reassurance and support as they adjust to their new environment.

If your child is struggling in school, it can be heartbreaking to watch them grapple with anxiety, stress, and self-doubt. As a parent, you want to teach them tools to succeed, but it can be challenging to know where to start. That’s why I’ve created the Test Anxiety Course for Kids, designed to help children build confidence, manage their stress, and perform their best in academic settings. By signing up, you’ll give your child the skills they need to approach school with a positive mindset and overcome the challenges they face. Don’t wait—enroll today and help your child thrive!​

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Disclaimer:

The information provided in the blogs on this website is intended for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional therapy or therapeutic services. While the content is designed to offer helpful insights and guidance, it should not be used as a replacement for individualized care provided by a licensed therapist or mental health professional. If you have concerns about your child's mental health or well-being, please consult with a qualified professional.